Receptacle for rotary stud fastener



May 17, 1960 J. R. NEWCOMER, JR 2,936,502

RECEPTACLE FOR ROTARY STUD FASTENER Filed June 21, 1957 FIG. I

REF PLANE Fm F l G. 4

INVENTOR.

JACOB R. NEWCOMERJR.

L 7 BY Hl ATTORNEY.

United States Patent RECEPTACLE FOR ROTARY STUD FASTENER Jacob R. Newcomer, Jr., Westwood, NJ., assignor to Camloc Fastener Corporation, Paramus, N.J., a corporation of New York Application June 21, 1957, Serial No. 667,182 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-221) This invention relates to receptacles for quick-acting fasteners employing rotatable studs and relates more particularly to an improved sheet metal receptacle having an increased measure of resiliency, due in large part to a more efiicient spring design than is present in conventional spring sheet metal receptacles.

An important object of the invention is to provide a receptacle which may be stamped in a single piece from sheet metal and formed with resilient arched sections at each end of the central receptacle portion joining the latter with attaching ears or other mounting means. These arched sections are of special contour to give the receptacle a greater measure of deformation while maintaining maximum allowable stress Within the elasticity of the material. This arrangement consists in forming the spring in a circuitous or serpentine shape and working it back on the area over the receptacle without, however, interfering with the normal action of the rotatable stud.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle of this character which has a greater proportion of usable area worked into the spring device than is found in earlier devices of this character. In fasteners having a rotatable stud a cross-pin is provided at the inner end of the latter which travels up inclined helical ramps and into detents formed in the receptacle. Since there is an inevitable relaxation in the sheet gripping action when the cross-pin falls back into the detents it is considered advantageous to employ a resilient sheet metal receptacle which is subjected to a central bending stress as the stud is rotated to locked position. The sheet to which the receptacle is attached has standard hole preparation which is governed by the amount of available space and the improved receptacle of the present invention has the conventional spacing between the rivet holes and is so formed as to employ a longer spring which secures greater deflection.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of helical ramps or cam paths in a receptacle of this type which consists in starting the cam path below the general plane of the receptacle portion, referred to hereinafter as the reference plane, and ending the same above this reference line. This improvement permits of a higher cam rise without deforming the metal beyond its rupture limits.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the receptacle of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a central section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a floating mounting for the receptacle.

Fig. 4 is a broken plan view thereof.

The central receptacle portion 10 has an opening 11 of such size as to receive the shank of a rotatable stud (not shown) having a cross-pin at its inner end. The central opening has opposed lateral extensions 12 shaped to pass the cross-pin therethrough. When the latter has passed through the opening and rotation of the stud com- 2 mences the ends of the cross-pin move up helical ramps 13 which start at slots 12 and the plane (indicated at Ft. A), at which the ramps start is considerably below the reference plane of the central receptacle section, whereas the uppermost point ofthe receptacle section (Pt. B) is considerably above this plane.

The helical ramps terminate at their upper ends at points 14 which are above the reference plane of the central receptacle section and just beyond the high points of the cam rise there are detents or recesses 15 to receive the ends of the cross-pin in locked position. A stop 16 limits further rotation of the stud.

This central receptacle portion is reinforced on either side thereof by upwardly turned flanges 20. The arched spring section 21 at each end of the central section has a special contour which may be described as being of generally serpentine shape and this convexly curved section extends inwardly such distance as to overlie a portion of the stop. This convexly curved section 21 merges into a lower reversely curved or concave section 24 which underlies a section of the upper curved section 21. This arrangement permits as much deflection as might be pro duced if the receptacle were from 2 to 3 times the height shown. At the end of the arched section there is an outwardly extending ear 22 lying on a plane parallel with the reference plane of the central section and having an opening 23 to receive a rivet to attach the receptacle to a supporting sheet.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that this serpentine shape of the spring has a much more efiicient design than if it were simply of inverted U shape as in conventional sheet metal receptacles where the entire deformation is made in a single direction from a given plane. This latter arrangement is quite unsatisfactory because it definitely limits the height of the highest peaks of the cam rise. In applicants improved structure with its greater possible deflection and greater cam rise from the lower or entrance end to the top of the cam path a more efficient receptacle is provided and it enables a sheet metal receptacle to be used where a non-resilient rigid receptacle was previously thought necessary.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the spring sections 25 of receptacle 26, instead of terminating in apertured attaching ears as in the first embodiment, terminate in flat ears 27 which are received in floating relation in mounting means comprising a sheet metal base 28 having inwardly turned tabs 29 which receive fiat ears 27 and limit transverse movement of the receptacle on the mounting base whereas longitudinal movement is limited when vertical portion 30 of the the spring sections contact cars 29.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

What I claim is:

1. A resilient sheet metal receptacle for a rotatable stud fastener having a cross-pin, said receptacle being stamped in a single piece from sheet metal, the central receptacle section having a round opening for the fastener stud and lateral extensions to pass the cross-pin therethrough, said section further being formed with opposed helical ramps which commence at said extensions on a plane below the reference plane of the section and continue upwardly above said plane and terminate in detents to receive the cross-pin in secured relation, attaching ears at each end of the central section and inwardly extending, generally C-shaped arched spring sections between the ears and said central section and which at least partially overlie the extensions of the round opening, and angular flanges formed along opposed free edges of the receptacle section to reinforce the latter.

2. A resilient sheet metal receptacle for a rotatable stud fastener having a cross-pin, said receptacle being stamped in a single piece from sheet metal, the central receptacle section having an opening for the fastener stud and lateral extensions of the opening to pass the crosspin therethrough, said section further being formed with,

opposed helical ramps which commence at said extensions on a plane below the reference plane of the sec tion and continue upwardly above said plane and terminate in detents to receive the cross-pin in secured relation, brackets at the outer terminals of the central section for mounting said terminals on a member in floating relation thereto, and inwardly extending, serpentine-shaped arched spring sections between the terminals and said central section including a convex portion extending upwardly and inwardly over a portion of the central section, and a downwardly and outwardly curved concave section joining the central section at its inner end.

3. A resilient sheet metal receptacle for a rotatable stud fastener having a cross-pin, said receptacle being stamped in a single piece from sheet metal and including a central section, upwardly extending spring sections at the opposed ends of the central section, and attaching ears at the outer ends of the spring sections, the central section having an opening for the fastener stud and lateral extensions to pass the cross-pin therethrough, said section further being formed with means cooperating with the cross-pin and comprising opposed helical ramps which commence said extensions, extend upwardly, and terminate in detents to receive the cross-pin in secured relation, said upwardly extending spring sections being of generally serpentine shape and extending inwardly to partially overlie the cross-pincooperating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Knohl Aug. 9, 1955 

